Britain has twice as many foreign doctors and nurses as the Western average, a report has revealed. The average proportion of the medical workforce made up of foreign doctors is around a fifth, or 19.6 per cent, across 28 developed and developing countries. Meanwhile in the west, most countries have a far lower figure, relying more on doctors and nurses trained at home. In most western countries the proportion of foreign nurses is lower than that of doctors, and stood at 23 per cent in the UK in 2023. Many health professionals cite foreign doctors and nurses as playing an essential role in properly staffing the NHS and ensuring safe care.

Source: Daily Mail December 27, 2025 21:09 UTC